1. Field
The present disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for reporting a channel quality indication to non-serving cells. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to sending a channel quality indicator directly to multiple candidate cells in an active set of cells that can enable fast handover procedure for uplink and downlink High Speed Data Shared transmissions.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently, shared channels, such as High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) are being proposed in evolution networks to provide high throughput not only for packet data traffic such as video streaming, file download and web browsing, but also for real-time services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) traffic. Typically a mobile device in a single coverage area, such as not in a potential handover situation, will utilize physical layer control messages to support link adaptation procedures such as Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback signals and quality measurement reports. These physical layer control messages have low latency characteristics that provide for selection of modulation and coding schema adaptive to the mobile radio environment.
In a multiple coverage area, a mobile in soft handover will send a layer 3 measurement report to the serving radio network controller. Non-serving cells will only be aware of an order of the active set from messages relayed by the serving radio network controller. Quality measurement information is only sent to the scheduling/serving cell. Unfortunately, if the best cell is not the scheduling cell, there is no mechanism for switching the scheduling/serving cell without going through the serving radio network controller which is a slow process that results on loss of data transmitted over High Speed Data Shared during handover.
Thus, there is a need for a method in a wireless communication device and an apparatus, such as a wireless communication device, for reporting a channel quality indication to non-serving cells.